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Month: March 2019

The United States capital, Washington D.C., is brimming with history. This fact will prove itself when you take one of our Washington D.C. Bus Tours, which brings tourists to the city’s most recognizable landmarks, from the iconic Lincoln Memorial to the world-renowned White House.

Each location has many stories to tell, some of which you’ve probably never heard of. We’d like to rectify that issue by sharing with you some interesting facts about 4 of the most historic sites our Washington D.C. Bus Tours visit.

Lincoln Memorial

The National Malls most well-known building, the Lincoln Memorial was built in honor of the 16thU.S. President, Abraham Lincoln.

Before the Lincoln Memorial was constructed according to architect Henry Bacons plans, a competition was opened to all to design the monument. Bacons competitor, the architect John Russell Pope, proposed several bizarre designs, including a terraced ziggurat, a stepped Mayan temple, and a gigantic 250-foot temple inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. While Pope’s Lincoln Memorial designs didn’t win, he later went on to design the Jefferson Memorial and other notable structures.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Along the Washington D.C. Bus Tours route is the 2-acre Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which honors the U.S. service members who fought and died in the Vietnam War.

Five years after the Fall of Saigon, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund organized a national competition to decide the memorials design. By 1981, they had received more than 1,400 submissions.The entries were then judged by a committee of eight designers and artists. They passed over professional architects submissions to award the victory to Maya Lin. Born to Chinese parents, Lin was a 21-year-old Yale University undergraduate when she made the winning design for a class.

Potomac River

Over 400 miles long, the Potomac River flows through West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia andWashington, D.C. Today, millions of people rely on it for water, as well as recreational activities such as fishing and boating.

Speaking of recreation, the 6th U.S. President, John Quincy Adams, observed a strict morning ritual:swimming nude in the Potomac River. He claimed he did it for exercise, health, cleanliness, and pleasure,but he did admit his physician thought he was overexerting himself. In 1825, Adams almost drowned in the river when a tiny boat he was on filled with water, and he jumped overboard fully clothed.

White House

Of course, the Washington D.C. Bus Tours also take tourists to the White House. Designed by Irish architect James Hoban, this famous building has housed every U.S. President since its construction was completed in 1800.

While the White House is rumored to be haunted, its inhabitants have been subjected to real terror more than once courtesy of fire. When the British Army torched most of Washington in 1814, they didn’t spare the White House. Its interior destroyed and its outer walls severely damaged, its residents, including President James Madison, had to live elsewhere until its partial reconstruction in 1817.

Then, in 1929, the buildings West Wing was almost completely obliterated thanks to an electrical fire. Extensive renovations were necessary to restore the section.

Every landmark has stories to be told, and with the Washington D.C. Bus Tours visiting even more places than those mentioned above, you can expect to learn a lot of them. For more on our WashingtonD.C. Bus Tours, contact us at EWorldTours.com!